College Basketball 2011-12: Top 20 Schools With Something to Prove

College basketball season is still five months away, but it’s never too early to start thinking about next season’s contenders and diaper dandies.

Although you are probably sitting by the pool, discussing Major League Baseball and the NBA Finals, here are 20 college basketball teams with something to prove next season.

20. Xavier Musketeers

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CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 18: Tu Holloway #52 of the Xavier Musketeers walks to the bench late in the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Quicken Loans Arena on March 18, 2011

The Xavier Musketeers will be heavy favorites to win the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2011-12.

With a good batch of returning talent, led by Tu Holloway, the Musketeers will likely make their seventh straight NCAA Tournament.

19. Baylor Bears

The 2011-12 Baylor Bears should have a formidable frontcourt, with Perry Jones and freshman Quincy Miller.

Baylor could be a sleeper in the Big 12 Conference next season.

Photo courtesy of: midwestsportsfan.com

18. Gonzaga Bulldogs

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DENVER, CO - MARCH 19: Robert Sacre #00 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs looks on against the Brigham Young Cougars during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Pepsi Center on March 19, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinge

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have become one of the more consistent basketball programs in the country, under Mark Few.

Gonzaga will be looking to make its 14th consecutive NCAA Tournament.

Elias Harris and Robert Sacre will likely be doing the majority of the scoring next season for the Bulldogs.

17. Wisconsin Badgers

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 24: Jordan Taylor #11 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after missing a basket against the Butler Bulldogs during the Southeast regional of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at New Orleans Arena on March 24, 2011 in New Orle

The Wisconsin Badgers’ hopes of a successful 2011-12 season will hinge on the efforts of Jordan Taylor.

Taylor was named to the All-Big Ten First Team as a junior last season.

16. UCLA Bruins

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TAMPA, FL - MARCH 19: Joshua Smith #34 of the UCLA Bruins attempts a shot against the Florida Gators during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at St. Pete Times Forum on March 19, 2011 in Tampa, Florida. Florida won 73-65. (Pho

The UCLA Bruins will have two holes to fill in their lineup, after Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee entered this month’s NBA Draft.

Although the losses will be hard to overcome, the Bruins’ season should be salvageable, playing in the weak Pac-10 Conference.

15. Cincinnati Bearcats

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WASHINGTON - MARCH 17: Ricardo Ratliffe #10 of the Missouri Tigers defends Yancy Gates #34 of the Cincinnati Bearcats during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Verizon Center on March 17, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo

Last season, the Cincinnati Bearcats won 26 basketball games. With their four best players returning, they will look to exceed last year’s win mark.

The Bearcats are led by Yancy Gates, who led the team in scoring last season.

14. Florida Gators

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 26: Erving Walker #11 of the Florida Gators reacts during their game against the Butler Bulldogs in the Southeast regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at New Orleans Arena on March 26, 2011 in New Orleans, L

The Florida Gators are dangerously thin in the paint, after losing their entire starting frontline from last season.

On the other hand, Florida has tremendous backcourt players.

The Gators have Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker returning for their junior and senior seasons, respectively.

Also, Florida has freshman Bradley Beal, one of the top recruits in the nation.

13. Villanova Wildcats

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ROSEMONT, IL - FEBRUARY 19: Dominic Cheek #23 of the Villanova Wildcats moves against the DePaul Blue Demons at the Allstate Arena on February 19, 2011 in Rosemont, Illinois. Villanova defeated DePaul 77-75 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Ima

Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns provide the Villanova Wildcats with a solid backcourt combo.

The difference between the Wildcats having a good season and a really good season will be the production of Isaiah Armwood and Maurice Sutton.

12. Missouri Tigers

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 10: Marcus Denmon #12 of the Missouri Tigers goes up for a shot against B.J. Holmes #11 of the Texas A&M Aggies during their quarterfinal game in the 2011 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 10

Under new coach Frank Haith, the Missouri Tigers return their top six players next season.

Including Laurence Bowers and Marcus Denmon, the team’s two leading scorers.

11. Pittsburgh Panthers

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WASHINGTON - MARCH 19: Ashton Gibbs #12 of the Pittsburgh Panthers puts up a shot against the Butler Bulldogs during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Verizon Center on March 19, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/G

The Pittsburgh Panthers took a sigh of relief when Ashton Gibbs decided to return to school for his junior season, after initially declaring for the Draft.

The combination of Gibbs, Travon Woodall and Nasir Robinson will keep the Panthers competitive in the always-tough Big East Conference.

10. Louisville Cardinals

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DENVER, CO - MARCH 17: Peyton Siva #3 of the Louisville Cardinals handles the ball against the Morehead State Eagles during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Pepsi Center on March 17, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Do

After the Syracuse Orange, the Louisville Cardinals have the most talented roster in the Big East Conference.

The Cardinals’ biggest strength is their perimeter play, led by Kyle Kuric and Peyton Siva, two of the team’s top three scorers from a year ago.

9. Kansas Jayhawks

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SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 27: Tyshawn Taylor #10 of the Kansas Jayhawks looks on during the southwest regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams at the Alamodome on March 27, 2011 in San Antonio, Texa

The Kansas Jayhawks lost many of their core players from last season to the NBA Draft.

Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson will likely keep the Jayhawks near the top of the Big 12 next season.

8. Duke Blue Devils

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CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 20: Seth Curry #30 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the second half while taking on the Michigan Wolverines during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2011 in Charlot

After the departure of Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler and Kyrie Irving, the Duke Blue Devils likely won’t be as formidable as they were the last two seasons.

With that being said, Mason and Miles Plumlee, Austin Rivers and Seth Curry should keep the team in the top 20 throughout the season.

7. Memphis Tigers

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TULSA, OK - MARCH 18: Head coach Josh Pastner of the Memphis Tigers yells from the sidelines during the second round game against the Arizona Wildcats in the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at BOK Center on March 18, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Phot

The Memphis Tigers will begin the 2011-12 season with some of the best freshmen in the country.

Memphis’ freshman class will be led by Tennessee native Adonis Thomas.

If the newcomers can mesh, the Tigers could be dancing deep into March.

6. Connecticut Huskies

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 04: Jeremy Lamb #3 of the Connecticut Huskies dunks the ball against the Butler Bulldogs during the National Championship Game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Reliant Stadium on April 4, 2011 in Houston, Tex

The Connecticut Huskies will have one of the better frontcourts in the Big East Conference next season with Tyler Olander, Alex Oriakhi and Roscoe Smith.

Also, Jeremy Lamb, the team’s likely leading scorer, returns for his sophomore season.

5. Butler Bulldogs

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 04: Head coach Brad Stevens of the Butler Bulldogs looks on from the sidelines against the Connecticut Huskies during the National Championship Game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Reliant Stadium on April 4

The Butler Bulldogs will have a hard time recovering next season, after losing Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack in back-to-back drafts.

However, after consecutive NCAA Championship Game appearances, it would be silly to count out the Bulldogs when March rolls around.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 25: Jared Sullinger #0 of the Ohio State Buckeyes goes for a lay up against DeAndre Liggins #34 of the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of the east regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Prudenti

The Ohio State Buckeyes made it to the Sweet Sixteen last season, before falling to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Jared Sullinger, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, will be back to cause more havoc in the paint.

Aaron Craft and William Buford also return for the Buckeyes.

3. Syracuse Orange

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CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 20: Fans wear head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange masks during the game between the Syracuse Orange and the Marquette Golden Eagles during the third of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Quicken Loans Arena on Ma

The Syracuse Orange look to have a powerhouse team next season.

Much like the Kentucky Wildcats, they have a good combination of experience and talented freshmen.

Scoop Jardine and Rakeem Christmas will be two players to watch next season for Syracuse.

2. Kentucky Wildcats

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 02: Terrence Jones #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts after a play against the Connecticut Huskies during the National Semifinal game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Reliant Stadium on April 2, 2011 in Hou

The Kentucky Wildcats have a brilliant combination of returning talent and promising freshmen..

The Wildcats will return Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb and Darius Miller from last season’s Final Four team.

Additionally, the Wildcats have added Marquis Teague, Mike Gilchrist and Anthony Davis, three of the top high school players in the country.

1. North Carolina Tar Heels

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 27: Harrison Barnes #40 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in action against Josh Harrellson #55 of the Kentucky Wildcats during the east regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Prudential Center on March 27, 2011 i

After making a run to the Elite Eight last season, The North Carolina Tar Heels should have one of the top five teams in the country next season.

The Tar Heels have five returning players as their projected starting lineup: Harrison Barnes, Dexter Strickland, Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Kendall Marshall.

Anything short of Final Four appearance would be a disappointment for North Carolina.